The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for clearing one or more brakes of a freight transport vehicle. More particularly, it relates to pneumatic air systems and methods for clearing debris, particles or moisture from mechanical components of the brakes of a freight carrier, such as a tractor trailer.
Transporting large freight over long distances is an integral part of virtually every industry. Trucks or trucking systems are commonly used to transport goods, and conventionally include a tractor and a trailer. The trailer is detachably connected the tractor, and can be a “semi-trailer” or a “full trailer”. A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle, whereas a full trailer has both front and rear axles.
Regardless of exact form (semi-trailer or full trailer), most commercial trailers include an air brake or compressed air brake system. An on-board air storage tank provides a source of compressed air utilized to apply pressure to (or otherwise engage) the brake shoes or pads associated with each wheel of the trailer. Most truck trailer air brakes are drum brakes in which a set of shoes or pads press outwardly against a rotating cylinder-shaped brake drum. There is an increasing trend towards the use of commercial disk brakes for semi-truck and trailers in which a caliper clamps two brake pads against opposite sides of a rotating rotor (or disk). With either design, commonly-encountered environmental conditions can negatively affect brake operation.
For example, moisture (rain, snow, humidity, etc.) can accumulate between the brake shoe and brake drum (or other mechanical components of the particular brake design). In colder climates, the accumulated moisture can freeze when the trailer is not moving for even a short period of time, thereby “freezing” the brake shoe to the drum. Drivers must “unfreeze” the brake before traveling with the trailer, oftentimes resorting striking the brake with a hammer. Moreover, because brake operation is premised upon frictional interface between mechanical components, excess moisture (e.g., traveling in the rain) between these components can reduce brake effectiveness and lead to longer stopping distances. Also, road debris (e.g., sand, small rocks, road salt, etc.) invariably lodge between mechanical components of the trailer brakes, causing undesired wear and poor performance.